I've done no riding this year since the Kildale weekend. I've had a chest infection that 2 different antibiotics wouldn't clear. Maybe camping in a single skin tent in freezing conditions in January wasn't a good idea after all.....
Out of the flat by 8:30 and through the suburbs of Wavertree, Woolton, Gatacre & Halewood, dodging the parents on the school run. You hit countryside just outside Halewood and it's quite nice riding until you get onto the approaches for the
Runcorn bridge , this is busy dual carriageway & I promptly hopped onto the shared use path on the Eastern side. Once over the bridge I dropped down to the
Bridgewater Canal towpath which I followed to the marina at Murdishaw.
Fiddlers Ferry power station
On the canal towpath
I then hopped onto the A56 Chester Road which was quiet at this time of day and followed that to Frodsham.
3 bridges for the price of 1. The Sutton swing bridge over the
River Weaver, the Frodsham railway viaduct and the M56.
At Frodsham I began to climb the long Manley Road to the low ridge overlooking the Mersey & Welsh hills.
I'm a manly man, doing manly things....
From here I had a nice freewheel down Morley Lane to the A56 again and then took Picton Lane to Little Stanney, from where I skirted the Ellesmere Port shopping monstrosity and rode via Capenhurst to the A540. This isn't a nice road, signs like 111 casualties in 2 years tend to focus the mind a bit. The famous
Eureka Cafe is closed on Mondays, which is a pity as I was starving.
Quiet, sandstone walled lanes to Neston, where I got slightly lost & eventually found my way to
Parkgate, it's famous for it's icecream, I fancied fish & chips, but the chippy was closed & the pub didn't inspire, so I made do with a bottle of Lucozade & a muesli bar
I then picked up the converted railway line, that runs through the
Wirral Country Park to West Kirby. I realise I've not been here for nearly 30 years..... this makes me feel quite old....
Hilbre Island and the beach at West Kirby.
From West Kirby I follow the A553 through the affluent town of
Hoylake and then turn onto the promenade at Meols. I follow this around the coast to New Brighton.
Burbo Bank windfarmI do like to ride along the prom, prom, prom, where the brass bands play, tiddley om pom pom....
This extends right around the top of the
Wirral Peninsula and gives wonderful views of the more civilised part of Merseyside i.e. Liverpool...
tracking from the left, at approx 1/4 of the width of the above photo you will see a brownish office block with a mirrored building in front of it (just before the new skyscrapers) That's my office, where I sit planning World Domination, whilst drinking tea and trying to ignore my in-box and phone.....
The good ship "Snowdrop" took me from Seacombe to the Pier Head, and I was happy to be back in the Chosen City again...
73.19 miles or 117.78 Km in approx 10 hours. Not going to break any records am I.... but it was fun....
Full size pictures